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Policeman

Lee N. Bunch

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 8, 1942

Age 45

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Badge 277

The Vigil Panel 175 · Column 2 · Line 6 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 239

Incident

Policeman Bunch was shot and killed by a robbery suspect. Because of World War II, tires were rationed and cars were being stolen and stripped of their tires and abandoned. The Detective Inspector thought that these thieves would have a lot of money and might go to Gardena to gamble; draw poker being legal there. Policeman Bunch was working undercover in a poker club because he was a good poker player and probably knew more car thieves and car prowlers than anyone in the department. Shortly after midnight three holdup men entered the club armed with a semiautomatic 12 gauge shotgun and revolvers. They lined up the fourteen customers and employees with their faces against the wall and as one suspect covered them with the shotgun the other two suspects started to search the victims. Policeman Bunch was the fifth person in line from where the search was started. He carried his .38 in a shoulder holster. Probably knowing that he would be identified as a police officer, Policeman Bunch drew his gun, whirled and fired at the man holding the shotgun, hitting him in the belly and knocking him back on his haunches. As he hit the floor, he fired two shots from the shotgun. The first went high, but the second struck Policeman Bunch in the head, killing him instantly. The bandits fled to their getaway car. They drove around for awhile and knew the injured suspect had to have medical attention. They finally dumped him out in a hospital driveway. The injured robber died the next day, but before he did, he implicated the others. The other two robbers plead guilty and were sentenced to die. The driver, who had been unarmed, was given a life sentence. Later, the death sentences were changed to life sentences, on the grounds that their attorney caused them to plead guilty with the belief that they would receive life sentences. Policeman Bunch was a military veteran and had served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 20 years. He was survived by his wife and had planned on retir

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Policeman Bunch gave the Los Angeles Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Los Angeles Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 8, 1942

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 45

Badge Number 277

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Lee N. Bunch served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Lee is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1942, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 78th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Lee was 45. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Lee had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded